City Council Considers Ban On Styrofoam Containers

Disposable food containers and other packaging materials made out of polystyrene, a plastic material considered to be the second largest source of pollution on beaches throughout the state, may become a thing of the past in Long Beach.

The city council at its meeting on Dec. 20 agreed to consider drafting an ordinance that would ban the sale and distribution of expanded polystyrene, also known as styrofoam, and other polystyrene disposable food service containers, such as cups and take-out packages, citywide.

However, the potential styrofoam food packaging ban, which comes nearly six years after the city council banned single-use plastic bags for the same environmental reasons, won’t be officially taken up until June, as city council members agreed the issue still has yet to be fully vetted.

“I think we can possibly bring this back with stakeholder input and present the city attorney with something that would be ready for prime time,” said 4th District City Councilmember Daryl Supernaw.

In addition to reducing pollution on the beach, in river channels and in the ocean, such a ban would further the city’s goals to becoming more sustainable and meeting state mandates to divert waste from local landfills, according to city officials.

Within the next six months, city staff is expected to hold community outreach meetings to allow stakeholders, including environmental groups, restaurant representatives and polystyrene packaging manufacturers, to discuss the issue.

In addition, the city manager is expected to work with the city’s office of sustainability, environmental services bureau, sustainable city commission and community stakeholders to develop a public education campaign on the ban.

The campaign would include: a time line for implementation; a list of vendors of non-polystyrene products; a website with available information regarding the ban and information about polystyrene; and a hotline for questions and concerns.

The city manager is also expected to work with the city’s economic development commission to develop financial incentives for local businesses that already choose not to use polystyrene products.

The ordinance, education plan and incentive structure are expected to return to the city council for approval within six months at which time an update regarding the ban would be provided to the city council’s environmental committee.

While a prior move to consider a ban on polystyrene products failed to move forward in Long Beach nearly a decade ago, various environmental research studies have since documented the impact that polystyrene has had on the local environment.

For instance, Algalita Marine Research and Education, a Long Beach-based research organization and non-profit that focuses on ocean plastic pollution, recently conducted a nine-month study on plastic debris in Long Beach and surrounding cities.

The study found that expanded polystyrene (EPS) foam makes up 26 percent of litter in local streets and beaches, according to executive director Katie Allen. She said EPS breaks up into thousands of tiny pieces called “micro-plastics” that are then ingested by fish and other marine life, ultimately polluting fish people catch off the coast.

During the city council meeting last month, several local environmental activists spoke in favor of moving forward with the styrofoam ban and provided insight from other cities and local programs already in place.

Those in opposition to a ban on polystyrene products, however, include the California Restaurant Association, the California Grocers Association and polystyrene plastic product manufacturers.

Opponents have stated that imposing a full ban on styrofoam would simply “replace one single-use food service package for another” since people would ultimately litter the streets and beaches with whatever product that would replace polystyrene.

Fifth District City Councilmember Stacy Mungo said some alternatives to polystyrene, which are often more expensive for businesses, in some cases are manufactured outside the state and recycled in other counties, causing pollution from the products having to be hauled far distances. She said some non-polystyrene products are even more difficult to recycle.

“It’s a different kind of pollution, so I’m concerned that we’re really not addressing the system as a whole,” Mungo said.

So far, nearly 100 jurisdictions, including cities and counties, in California have already enacted a polystyrene ban, according to environmental activists and city officials.

First District City Councilmember Lena Gonzalez said Long Beach should consider a polystyrene ban similar to what was approved in Pasadena last year that doesn’t include banning retail sales or solid-type polystyrene plastic materials, such as utensils. It also includes a one-year phase-in to allow businesses and the public to make the transition and provides a “hardship waiver” for businesses unable to make the change.

“Expanded polystyrene is not biodegradable and ends up in landfills and marine environments,” she noted, adding that, while using non-polystyrene products might be an added cost to businesses, EPS stays in the environment for 500 years and is costly to clean up.

It was further acknowledged that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has imposed new regulations and has recognized polystyrene products to emit carcinogens.

The Long Beach chapter of the Surfrider Foundation has already instituted a program in the city that recognizes restaurants currently implementing environmentally friendly business practices, such as not using styrofoam take-out packages or products. The city council agreed that this program should be expanded by the city as an incentive for businesses.

Mike Murchison, a lobbyist for local restaurants, however, stated that any potential ban on polystyrene products in Long Beach should be further discussed with all stakeholders at the table before moving forward, since there are more than 500 full service restaurants in the city that may be impacted. He said imposing such a ban would have a financial impact on business, particularly for mom-and-pop restaurants.

sean@beachcomber.news